Kubasaki's Lukas Gaines skies for the ball as Kadena's Ty Lujan slides into second. (Erick Chedd Ricardo/Special to Stripes)

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – Few things in sports are as sweet as redemption.

Enter Kubasaki’s Luka Koja, who pitched a complete game victory and helped himself with two hits in three at-bats as the Dragons won their second Far East Division I Baseball Tournament title in three years.

Koja and the Dragons beat their island rival Kadena 12-2 in Wednesday’s final at Yokosuka’s Berkey Field. It was a far cry from the 2024 final, when Koja and the Dragons fell 4-0 to American School In Japan.

“Luka had an amazing tournament,” Dragons coach Aaron Fisk said of the senior left-hander who batted close to .700 in the tournament with a pair of home runs, but didn’t pitch at all until Wednesday’s final.

“He hadn’t pitched in a couple of weeks, but he had everything working,” Fisk said of Koja, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

All but two players in the batting order got hits for the Dragons. In addition to Koja, his younger brother Rei drove in a run. Asher Romnek hit a solo home run, Camden Fisk went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Jacy Fisk drove in two runs with two hits.

“Jacy had a great tournament as well,” Fisk said, adding that Fisk, a senior first baseman, had his “ups and downs” but they coached him to stand straight and tall in the batter’s box “and that was when he was most successful.”

Especially for seniors Jacy Fisk, Lukas Gaines and Luka Koja, “it couldn’t have ended in a better way for them,” Aaron Fisk said.

Ty Lujan was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base for the Panthers in a losing cause. Waioni Mandac took the loss.

Kubasaki first baseman Jacy Fisk awaits the throw as Kadena's Waioni Mandac races down the line. (Cynthia Abel/Special to Stripes)

Kadena's Waioni Mandac takes his swings against Kubasaki. (Cynthia Abel/Special to Stripes)

Kadena's Kai Redden readies to relay to first as Kubasaki's Daniel Demitrack slides into second. (Annika Farin/Special to Stripes)

Kubasaki's Asher Romnek hit a solo home run against Kadena. (Lauren Casey/Special to Stripes)

Kubasaki's Mason Ramos rounds third and heads home. (Lauren Casey/Special to Stripes)

Kubasaki's Asher Romnek is mobbed by teammates following his home run; ccoach Aaron Fisk captures the moment on his phone. (Jeunei Bodnar/Special to Stripes)

Kadena right-hander Waioni Mandac delivers against Kubasaki. (Eleah Vincelette/Special to Stripes)

Kubasaki left-hander Luka Koja delivers against Kadena. (Annika Farin/Special to Stripes)